The Tempest (2016)
for countertenor, baroque oboe, sackbut, 2 viola da gamba, violone and harpsichord
Duration: c. 60 minutes
This concert presents a journey through the rich musical legacy of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, spanning from the seventeenth century to the present day. The Tempest has always been Shakespeare’s most “musical” play, filled with songs, dances, and magical soundscapes. Across centuries, composers have responded to its themes of storm and shipwreck, enchantment and illusion, love and reconciliation.
The programme includes Henry Purcell’s Overture in G minor (c. 1695) and Matthew Locke’s atmospheric Curtain Tune (1674), conjuring the storm-tossed seas. Early settings of Ariel’s songs by John Banister and Thomas Linley reflect the Restoration and Georgian stage traditions, where Shakespeare’s text was often reshaped with new music.
The eighteenth-century elegance of John Christopher Smith’s Minuet is also included together with Michael Nyman’s Miranda, written for Peter Greenaway’s film Prospero’s Books (1991), an evocative meditation on innocence and transformation.
Bringing together baroque, classical, and contemporary voices, the performance explores how Shakespeare’s tale of illusion and reconciliation has inspired composers across centuries. Enhanced with visual art and magic lantern projections, this concert transforms The Tempest into a feast of sound and image — a celebration of Shakespeare’s enduring power to enchant.
Programme
| Henry Purcell | Overture in G minor, Part 1 (c. 1695) |
| Charlie Barber | Raising a Tempest (2015) |
| Thomas Linley | Arise, ye spirits of the storm (The Tempest, 1777) |
| Charlie Barber | Come unto these yellow sands (Ariel’s song) (2015) |
| John Banister | Full Fathom Five (Ariel’s song) (1667) |
| Charlie Barber | Full Fathom Five (Bell Changes) (2015) |
| Michael Nyman | Miranda (Prospero’s Books, 1991) |
| Charlie Barber | Ferdinand, Prince of Naples (2015) |
| Matthew Locke | Curtain Tune (The Tempest, 1674) |
| Charlie Barber | Prospero: Magia Naturalis (2015) |
| Thomas Linley | While you here do sleeping lie (Ariel’s song) (1777) |
| Matthew Locke | Rustick Air (The Tempest, 1674) |
| Henry Purcell | Here the Deities Approve (1684) |
| John C. Smith | Minuet (The Tempest, 1756) |
| Charlie Barber | Dry those eyes (The Masque) (2016) |
| Matthew Locke | A Canon 4 in 2 (The Tempest, 1674) |
| Henry Purcell | Now that the Sun hath veil’d his Light (An Evening Hymn on a Ground, Z 193) |
First performed 4 May 2016 at Malvern Theatres with Matthew Venner (countertenor), Jane Chapman (harpsichord), Nicola Barbagli (baroque oboe), Martyn Sanderson (sackbut), Ibi Aziz, Sam Stadlen (viola da gamba), Jan Zahourek (violone)
Direction + design: Charlie Barber
Visual art + video: Andrew Bolton
Curtain design: Jayne Bishop
Technical support: Sophie Smith, Mohit Basudev
Photography: Toby Farrow
Video
Images
Music
Press
The Guardian (Alfred Hickling)
Wales Arts Review (Cath Barton)
Performances
| 04.05.16 | MALVERN | Theatres |
| 07.05.16 | HOLYHEAD | Ucheldre Centre |
| 08.07.16 | YORK | Early Music Festival |
| 08.11.16 | OXFORD | Holywell Music Room |
| 09.11.16 | BATH | Spa University |
| 10.11.16 | CARDIFF | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama |
| 11.11.16 | LIVERPOOL | Capstone Theatre, Hope University |
| 12.11.16 | SWANSEA | Taliesin |
Programme
Credits
Produced by Sound Affairs with the financial support of: Arts Council of England, Arts Council of Wales, Garfield Weston Foundation, RVW Trust, The Leche Trust, Hinrichsen Foundation
Related content
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Charlie Barber 